what is this new icon that appears during calls

With the iOS 18.1 update, a new icon appears at the top left during calls, but disappears when the recipient picks up. Tech&Co explains to you what it is.

If you updated your iPhone this Monday, October 28, you may have a new icon appearing at the top left when you call someone. Apple has indeed deployed iOS 18.1, a new version of its mobile operating system which brings its share of improvements and features.

This icon represents a new function: Call Recording. As its name suggests, it allows you to record phone calls, which users can find in the Notes application.

Function inaccessible in EU

Concretely, when the user presses this button, in order to record a call, the interlocutor is informed via an audio message, as Apple indicated in a press release. A recording module is also displayed above the telephone menu.

In France, however, it is not possible to use this function. As noted by Tech&Co, as well as several users, the new icon disappears when the interlocutor picks up the phone. Apple specifies on a support page that this function is currently inaccessible in the EU and other countries, but without giving further details.

Note that in the United States, users have, in addition to being able to record calls, the possibility of obtaining a summary generated by Apple Intelligence, an AI system which is not yet available in France. It is expected to arrive in the country from April 2025.